An international team, including a scientist from the CONICET, discovered in Brazil a complete and well-preserved 80-million-year-old bird skull fossil.
This finding provides valuable information about the evolution of the skull and brain of modern birds and has been highlighted in the journal Nature.
Importance of the Discovery
This fossil, named Navaornis hestiae, belongs to an enantiornithine bird, a diverse and successful group of Mesozoic birds.
Its brain structure is intermediate between that of Archaeopteryx and modern birds, providing a key piece in the understanding of bird evolution.
Analysis and Reconstruction
The analysis allowed for a detailed examination of the skull anatomy in 3D and the reconstruction of its brain, inner ear, and other associated structures. The geometry of Navaornis’s skull resembles that of present-day birds, showing a mosaic of primitive and derived features.
“It was a pleasure to have participated in the discovery and study of this sensational animal key to bird evolution. This new fossil will be a Rosetta stone for future studies on enantiornithine birds in particular and Mesozoic birds in general,” says Agustín Martinelli, one of the authors of the study, a CONICET researcher, and head of the Vertebrate Paleontology Section at the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences “Bernardino Rivadavia” (MACN).
Results and Future of the Research
The study reveals essential aspects for understanding brain evolution in birds and shows an unprecedented degree of evolutionary convergence. This new fossil will be an important reference for future studies on enantiornithine birds and Mesozoic birds in general.
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